Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 17 (Mar 2022) i Adventure Afrika

An escape from city life is always a treat, and to hit the road in a luxury SUV to explore the southern tip of Africa, staying in upmarket lodges and hotels, feels almost unreal. We’ve worked out a packed itinerary with Cape Country Routes who market a countrywide selection of stayovers and activities, and our ride for this four-day excursion is Kia’s recently launched flagship SUV, the Sorento SXL, which has every comfort amenity one could be wishing for. I’m a 100% camping and 4x4 enthusiast for my escapes, so this is way out of my comfort zone, but I had no trouble persuading the Prof (as my partner is affectionately known) to come along for the ride. All it took was a few key words: cold-water swimming, four-star accommodation…

Mesmerising. Lush. Green. Dams. Fountains. Waterfalls. Mud. Mist. No, I did not swallow a dictionary. There is simply no better way to describe the recent Wolkberg Bush Run which saw a total of 20 Land Rovers descend on the Magoebaskloof area for a weekend of fun. Laden with camping equipment, this group of 4x4 enthusiasts had travelled from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo to join the adventure. Situated in the Haenertsburg area, in an area known as “The Land of Silver Mist”, you will find the Mountain Fly Fishing Farm, on a working avocado farm owned by David and Josie Pirie. This tranquil place offers five beautifully appointed self-catering cottages and a peaceful campsite – all located near dams where catch-and-release trout angling is one of the popular activities on offer.…

It was a typically windy day when we touched down at Cape Town International Airport on a Friday morning for our Mommy and Me recce. The excitement on Sabria’s face was a joy. Finally she was going to experience this fascinating part of the world. Our excitement grew when we picked up our ride – a bright-blue, brand-new Suzuki S-Presso. This was the ideal baby SUV in which to zip around the Mother City and surrounds. In a jiffy all our luggage was stashed in the deceptively spacious boot (it takes up to 270 litre), and we could take in all the other bells and whistles – including a rear-view camera for those tricky parking spots – now that is a bonus! Our first conservation visit was to the Southern…

In Zulu culture, the Common Brown Water snake is known as “Ivuzamanzi”, and it is believed that if this snake bites you, you must be sure to drink from the nearest river, before the snake does. The science tells a slightly different story. A slender snake with bulging eyes, it ranges in colour from olive green to brown with a pinkish to orange or light yellow belly that may extend to its flanks. Average length is 45cm to 60cm, with a maximum length recorded of 97cm. Females produce 6 – 23 eggs in summer. By far the most common water snake in southern Africa, it favours damp localities along riverbanks, well-wooded streams as well as dams and vlei areas. It is most active at night and swims well (although they…

Send yours to us on: info@4x4afrika.com (Subject: My Ride & I) Elmari Schoeman 2020 Suzuki Jimny “My kinetic yellow Suzuki Jimny is named Honey Badger, after one of Africa’s small but fearless predators. Just like these fierce creatures, my Jimny knows no fear and will conquer whatever is put in front of it. I love my Jimny because it has everything I ever wanted in a 4x4 – it’s compact, affordable, and has real off-roading chops. Honey Badger’s off-roading capability never ceases to surprise me and my fellow adventurers. I think the Jimny is the perfect base for an adventure build since you can have fun customising it to exactly what you want – whether that is an overlander, off-road toy or just your daily commuter and weekend warrior.” *Follow…

Mighty Mitsubishi Mitsubishi has stripped some luxury items from its current generation Triton double cab range to produce a GL derivative with more fleet appeal. Brand marketing head Jeffrey Allison explains: “Fans of the Mitsubishi brand have shown overwhelming interest in a more robust commercial vehicle range and – always putting our customers first – we introduced the Triton double cab GL.” “This is the first step in our intention to offer greater versatility in the commercial vehicle space and will draw more customers into the Mitsubishi fold. The aggressive price point on our double cab GL, starting at under R500k for the 4x2, will undoubtedly also attract lifestyle consumers due to its versatility and bold contemporary styling.” The Triton double cab GL features Mitsubishi’s proven DOHC intercooled turbodiesel engine,…

Who says you need a highly modified 4x4 to go camping and off-roading? The scene can quickly become a bit of a contest to see who’s got the most tricked-out vehicle and the latest camping gear. To prove a point, we gathered a few friends from Zombie Offroad to take on a new challenge: to see how little we can get away with in order to experience camping like it was back in the day. The result? A simple car and a really basic camping set-up, just like it used to be. It all started when I was chatting over a beer with Pierre Nortjé, a good friend of ours and an avid collector of air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles. The subject was camping, and he mentioned that he’d been struggling to…

After 20 years of development, the Kia Sorento has come a long way from Generation 1 in 2002, to the current updated Generation 4. It features an all-new ‘large SUV’ platform and the latest Smartstream version of the 2.2-litre CRDi turbodiesel engine, with 148kW of power on tap at 3800rpm and 440Nm of torque from 1750-2750rpm. It’s mated to a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and on-demand four-wheel drive. Premium features include a 12.3-inch driver’s TFT instrument cluster and large central touch screen. Seven USB charging points are available across three rows of seats. A full safety suite and many driver aids, from smart cruise control to a lane keeping assistant, make this a safe and polished choice as a family adventure vehicle. Sold with a six-year/90 000km service plan and…

<<< Skandeer en kyk hoe ons die renoster geteken het. The Corolla Cross is not the first vehicle that comes to mind when you think about trying to draw a rhino outline on dirt roads in a game reserve. However, here at Adventure Afrika, we are not afraid to “cross boundaries” (to borrow from the brand’s launch campaign). When we saw the TV commercial at the launch of this new crossover towards the end of last year, we immediately thought we could do this… slightly differently. So, we chatted to our friends at Mapesu Private Game Reserve in Limpopo, convinced the Toyota PR team to give us a chariot, and headed out to create some ‘art’. Back at the launch, the Corolla Cross impressed with its comfortable urban drive, and…

One of my favourite passes for a scenic drive, Magoebaskloof climbs 446 vertical metres to the summit at 1 400m above sea level, producing an average gradient of 1:17 with the steepest parts being at 1:9. The pass is tarred – albeit littered with potholes – and is suitable for all vehicles. Starting on the eastern approach on the tarred R71 route, the pass starts at an elevation of 954m above sea level where sub-tropical vegetation with cycads, palms and waterfalls are in abundance. The lush mountain scenery is a photographer’s dream, while the range of guest cottages in the kloof make exploring this area an ideal weekend getaway only four hours from Jozi. Halfway up the mountain you will find the popular Magoebaskloof Rest Camp, which features panoramic views…

Hidden between a few North West Province farms is Rust Oord Bosveld Camp, and although it is only about 25km outside of Brits, you feel worlds removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. We noticed that there is virtually no road noise in the camp, which is always a bonus if a quiet getaway is on your agenda! The resort has only 16 relatively large stands and no self-catering chalet options as yet. For us, the heated pool was a massive treat, the bonus being that the temperature is adjusted daily to suit the climate and the needs of campers. However, we found getting in and out a bit of a challenge as the stairs are on the smaller side. According to the owner, Alicia van der Spuy,…

The Ford Raptor is like no other bakkie on sale in South Africa today. It’s fair to say that no other standard production bakkie can compete when it comes to fast gravel handling. Thanks to that trick suspension, special shocks and chassis tweaks, it gets pretty close to off-road rally car performance – straight off the factory floor. I’ve had the privilege of getting behind the wheel of a Raptor on many gravel roads, but what I had not done was the slow and steady rock crawling, the hardcore low-range stuff. This trip was going to change all of that. It would be a baptism by fire as we were headed into Lesotho. To be honest I didn’t know much about this little land-locked country. I had been to the…

Long before social distancing was a requirement, many of us routinely sought escape from civilisation. Two ways to achieve this – overlanding and off-grid camping – have exploded in popularity over the last decade. But, while it’s great to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, going off-grid doesn’t have to mean losing all the creature comforts. With a well-constructed rooftop tent, you can have access to a go-anywhere sleep space that’s nearly as comfortable as your bedroom back home. We chatted to our friends at Tentco to find out what you need to know before committing to a rooftop tent and – as one expects from the leaders in all things tent-related – this team gave us some expert advice. Although rooftop tents have become somewhat of…

You just bought your new Jimny and have to decide if you will leave it standard or amp up the ability with some modifications. After chatting to some enthusiasts, we were persuaded that the mods not only look cool, but improve capability, which becomes clear when you regularly venture into the bundu. The manufacturers prefer owners to keep their vehicles as stock standard as possible, because they say the mods don’t add extra ability and might have warranty implications. Their view, naturally, is that a standard vehicle should handle most of the challenges or obstacles that come with the typical demands of overlanding. In search of the truth, we decided to test these opposing points of view and headed to Bass Lake near Meyerton to pitch a standard Jimny against…

Bruce Cook grew up overlanding and camping with his father Greg, and while he has fond memories of exploring this beautiful country in Fugly, the Land Cruiser, he was thrilled when he finally got his very own four-wheel partner. “I have always been impressed with the looks and capabilities of the ‘baby SUV’ as my dad calls it,” Bruce says about his Jimny called Phumba. Since getting it, father and son have undertaken many adventures, with one of the highlights being a visit to Somkhanda Game Reserve in Pongola. “The reserve has no tarred roads, just a huge range of trails that take you around the reserve. However, most of them are completely overgrown and took a lot of bundu bashing and some serious nerves to attempt. We almost put…

How to enter? Simply send an image – minimum 1MB in size – of you and your vehicle, out and about on an adventure to info@4x4afrika.com (subject: Four-Wheel Partner). Include the following: Driver details Year model and derivative of the vehicle Any modifications made (and which has been the most useful) Vehicle’s nickname (if relevant) Favourite memory/trip with your vehicle Your bucket-list trip Top expedition/adventure tip Why you love your ride T&C’s: The decision regarding featured entries rests solely with the Adventure Afrika team, and no correspondence will be entered into. | Should the promoter (Tentco) withdraw the prize sponsorship, Adventure Afrika reserves the right to publish any entries without awarding any prize. | Adventure Afrika and Tentco retain the right to use any image submitted in promotional or marketing…